I, Claudia

I rarely read a YA book that I find so…wonderfully disturbing (The Female of the Species might be one) as I do I, Claudia by Mary McCoy. The protagonist, Claudia, is so intelligent, independent, strong and intuitive that following her narrative was a delight. Claudia is dark yet funny and tells her story of political intrigue mixed with High school drama.

Warning: there is some intense bullying in this book.

“Disaffected amateur historian Claudia McCarthy never expected to be in charge of Imperial Day Academy, but by accident, design, or scheme, she is pulled into the tumultuous and high-profile world of the Senate and Honor Council. Suddenly, Claudia is wielding power over her fellow students that she never expected to have and isn’t sure she wants.

Claudia vows to use her power to help the school. But there are forces aligned against her: shocking scandals, tyrants waiting in the wings, and political dilemmas with no easy answers. As Claudia struggles to be a force for good in the universe, she wrestles with the question: does power inevitably corrupt?”

Told from Claudia’s perspective as she explains her story to her therapist helps to create drama and mystery to the story and will leave you questioning exactly who Claudia is as a person the entire story.